Romanian Wine Promotion Association

Wines of Romania, a Well Kept Secret

Homer wrote about the Geto-Dacians, the ancestors of Romanian people, that “men and women drink wine in the Scythian fashion, unmixed with water, using big deer antlers or ox horns, instead of glasses or cups, which are passed from hand to hand.”

A story told by antique geographer Strabo, referring to the creator of the first Dacian state, Burebista (1st century BC), shows that he ordered for all vineyard to be torn down, in order to stop the invaders, who were interested in this special resource of the area. It seems that the measure was only partly applied, because when they came to Dacia, the Romans issued a coin, in 106 AD, which showed two children offering grapes to a woman. An obviously defining symbol of the Dacians was being thus highlighted. The Romans also brought in new types of grapes, but also their own wine-growing techniques, which contributed to improving the production.

Wine growing continued throughout the historical periods and wine became also renowned outside the Romanian provinces. The history of Romanian wine growing also went through a period of decline, when the phylloxera struck, destroying the roots of the vines in the second half of the 19th century. The upside consisted in two measures which brought priceless long-term benefits: besides the domestic grapes, new types of grapes were brought in (Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc etc) and the Romanian vintners became more specialized in the field.

The turn of the 20th century found Romania with 152.000 hectares of vineyards. During the interwar period, there were 220.000 hectares. After the communism fell, in the 90’s, wine production took an upwards path, following the return of the vineyards to their owners and privatizations, as well as a result of support from EU funds. Now, Romania’s wine-growing surfaces are divided into seven big regions counting 40 vineyards and more than 200 wine-growing centers.

Romanians are known for the love they have for their land. Winemaking is one of the oldest activities here and the wine we make reflects the respect we have for nature’s kindness for giving us such great terroir. The Romanian Wine Promotion Association (Ro: Asociația pentru Promovarea Vinului Românesc) is an interregional organization which brings together some of the most dedicated Romanian wine producers.

APVR wineries come from all the important wine regions in Romania, recognized and protected. As an enthusiastic team filled with high expectations, the association is committed to set high standards in Romania’s wine culture and to create a strong impact on the international wine market. The very individualistic vintners from APVR share a common philosophy about how technology should be combined with tradition and a deep respect for their land. The quality of their work is increasing every harvest, thus creating some of the best wines on the world-wide-market in terms of price/quality ratio.

So far, wines of Romania were a well kept secret, but not any more.Find out more on www.estikawines.com